Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fixation device for a correction bar used in the operation of pectus excavatum, and more particularly, to a fixation device for securing the correction bar inserted into a thoracic cavity to ribs in an operation of correcting pectus excavatum, which is a sort of chest malformation.
Description of Related Art
A malformation of a chest wall constituting a chest can be largely divided into a pectus excavatum, which is called a depressed chest, and a pectus carinatum, which is called a protruding chest. The causes of such malformation have not been accurately revealed, but it is known that it is caused by genetic factors. As shown in FIG. 1, the bones of the chest are constructed by connecting ribs 10, a sternum 20, costal cartilages 30, and a vertebral column 40, and the pectus excavatum and the pectus carinatum are not caused by malformation of the ribs, but are caused by the abnormality of the costal cartilages 30 constituting a front side of the chest and connecting the sternum 20 to the ribs 10. Such malformation can become severe as people grow, while it was not severe at the time of birth.
Especially, in case of pectus excavatum, the depressed chest walls compress a heart or lungs to bring about malfunction thereof to thereby make the exercise function deteriorated. Furthermore, in case of children, problems are caused in that their respiratory organs become worse or their growing is delayed due to having frequent cold and the repetition of pneumonia, and in addition, they may have emotional and psychological disturbance when they are in childhood, boyhood, and juvenile period.
One of the conventional operation methods for correcting the pectus excavatum is a Lavich operation method, in which the front chest is opened large and almost all of the cartilages are removed. However, the operating method causes problems that the chest walls become weak after the operation, or adhesion is caused to thereby cause the loss of the smooth exercise function of the chest, in addition to forming the big scar on the chest.
In 1997, Donald Nuss who lives in U.S.A. proposes a new operation method (this is called a “Nuss operation method” for correcting the pectus excavatum in place of the conventional Lavich operation method.
As shown by a hatch line in FIG. 2(a), the Nuss operation method is carried out wherein a curved correction bar 100 is inserted after incising a portion under both armpits of a patient with depressed chest walls by about
Thus, the Nuss operation method has some advantages in comparison with the Lavich operation method, in that operation trace remains at both sides of the chest by a size of about 1˜2 normal chest walls to thereby maintain the flexibility and elasticity of the chest. In addition, the operation time is short and bleeding is little at the time of the operation.
However, the Nuss operation method has a problem that it is not possible to observe the inside of the thoracic wall while the correction bar is being passed through the inside of the thoracic wall so that the operation should be carried out by means of experiences, when the correction bar is pulled out from the opposite side of the chest after it is inserted into the thoracic wall from one side of the chest of the patient. In other words, several cases were reported to cause that the correction bar excessively compressed the internal organs directly affecting the life of a patient, such as a heart or lungs, big vascular tract in the thoracic wall during the passage of the correction bar through the thoracic wall, to damage them or generate bleeding, resulting in the danger of the patient. Also, it was not easy to pull out the correction bar from the opposite side of the chest.
In this regard, a technology disclosed in Korean Patent No. 740193 has been developed to solve such problems arising in the Nuss operation method, which is filed by the same applicant as the present invention.
Moreover, the correction bar can support the thoracic wall to a normal form only when the correction bar is secured to the ribs after lifting the depressed thoracic wall. Conventionally, a sewing thread or a steel wire, and the like are used to bind and secure the correction bar with the surrounding ribs so as to fix the correction bar to the ribs. However, in such a case, a problem occurs in that the supporting force is weakened because the right side and the left side of the correction bar are respectively connected to one rib.
In this regard, as shown in FIG. 4, after installing a fixation device 110 shown in FIG. 3 at both ends of the correction bar 100, a sewing thread or a steel wire 113 is inserted into a through-hole 111 formed at both sides of the fixation device 110, and then the sewing thread or the steel wire 113 is wound around the surrounding ribs 10 to make a knot to solve such a problem arising in the conventional art.
However, several disadvantages have been caused such that big operation trace remains to thereby rather go off the advantages of the Nuss operation method because the fixation device has no function of self-fixation, and the skin should be more incised up to a portion surrounding the ribs 10 to wind and secure the fixation device around the ribs.
Moreover, there is a possibility of the damage and complication of the organs such as the lungs and the vascular tract by a sewing needle for securing the sewing thread or the steel wire around the ribs. In addition, disadvantages may occur in that fixation fails or re-operation ratio is high.